5 Signs You’re Officially Sad (Certified Gloomy Edition)

1. You stare at a wall for 20 minutes and call it “deep thinking.”
   • Nope, you’re not contemplating the meaning of life. You just zoned out.
2. Everything reminds you of something sad.
   • “Oh look, a pigeon… vibing alone, how sad.”
3. You suddenly crave something you can’t have.
   • Like milk tea when your psoriasis says, “No, bestie, not today.”
4. You try to be productive, but instead, you just exist.
   • “I should clean my room.” Lies down for three hours instead.
5. You listen to sad music to feel even sadder.
   • Because what’s better than being sad? Being sad with a soundtrack!

Okeh, so here is what happened,

I was sitting in my living lounge, wondering why days like this exist., days when I am feeling tragically sad for no reason. Maybe it’s the gloomy weather, maybe it’s my tragic love story with milk tea (which my psoriasis has tragically banned from my life), or maybe I just woke up and chose melancholy.

Since sadness was my special guest today, I thought, “Why not entertain myself with my own writing?” I mean, what else is better than reading the words of the wisest, funniest person in existence? (That person is me, in case you were wondering.)

Now, back to the tragedy. I had a dream—no, a vision—of drinking the most delicious milk tea. But reality slapped me with, “Nah, you can’t have that.” And just like that, sadness knocked on my door and moved in.

To make things worse, the weather in Japan is doing its best impression of an emotional rollercoaster. One moment, the sun is shining like it’s auditioning for a toothpaste commercial, and the next, it’s raining and snowing simultaneously, as if the sky itself is confused about its emotions.

If you’re also feeling sad and you don’t even know why, congratulations—you’re officially part of the club. It’s okay to feel gloomy, even on bright, sunny days. Happens to the best of us (aka me).

To distract myself from becoming a full-time sad tomato, I decided to cook. I spent four whole hours making lamb bone broth. FOUR HOURS. Did it turn out good? Yes. Did it magically make me happy? Also yes, because I got distracted from my sadness and started focusing on not burning my kitchen down.

5 Ways to Cure Sadness (Certified by Me)

1. Eat something ridiculously delicious.
   • If milk tea betrayed you like it did me, find a new love. Cake never lets you down.
2. Do something so random that sadness gets confused.
   • Example: Learn how to dance like a crab. Sadness won’t know what hit it.
3. Turn into a chef.
   • Cooking is a great distraction, and if you mess it up, at least now you have a new reason to cry.
4. Watch something stupidly funny.
   • Like cat videos. Or people trying to do yoga and failing miserably.
5. Remind yourself that sadness is temporary.
   • Just like bad weather, awkward silences, and my craving for milk tea (hopefully).

Now, go forth and fight the gloom! 🎉

This post? It has no particular theme, just like sadness itself. But you know what? If you’re reading this, that means two things:

1. It’s hilarious (obviously).
2. You have internet and a phone, which means you’re not homeless. That’s a win.

Now, tell me—what do you do when sadness strikes? Do you eat an entire tub of ice cream? Do you cry dramatically while staring out the window like you’re in a music video? Drop your sad-person rituals in the comments because I need new coping strategies.

Loads of love,

Hannah